ABSTRACT
Gluten protein based snacks have been a major concern for allergen, low nutrition and physio-chemical properties. In this study, wheat flour (WF) was replaced with cassava starch (CS) at different levels [10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%(w/w)] to prepare fried snacks. The addition of CS significantly (P < 0.05) increased hardness and pasting properties while gluten network, oil uptake, water holding capacity, and expansion were decreased. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the secondary structure of amide I, α-helix (1650-1660 cm-1), along with amide II region (1540 cm-1) changed when CS was added. Starch-protein complex was identified by X-ray diffraction analysis while no starch-protein-lipid complex was observed. The micrographs from scanning electron microscopy showed that starch-protein matrix was interrupted when ≥40%(w/w) CS was added. Furthermore, in vitro calcium bioavailability was decreased slightly with the addition of CS. The results suggest the feasibility of adding 40% CS as an alternative to WF in snacks.
